In 2019, Amara Lewis was working full-time in marketing while running a small side hustle selling handmade skincare products. She didn’t have a website, a PR team, or even a brand logo. What she did have was an iPhone, a passion for natural beauty, and an Instagram account with less than 1,000 followers.
By 2023, Amara’s company, Nura Glow, had surpassed $1 million in revenue, all fueled by one simple yet often overlooked growth channel: Instagram DMs.
This is the story of how Amara turned one-to-one conversations into a powerful business engine, and how today’s entrepreneurs can do the same.
The Hidden Power of DMs in a Social Media Era
Instagram has evolved far beyond photo sharing. With over 1.4 billion active users, the platform’s direct message feature has become a goldmine for relationship-driven sales.
According to a Meta 2024 business report, 75% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer to message brands directly rather than fill out web forms or emails. This behavioral shift has given rise to what experts now call “DM commerce.”
Amara noticed this early.
“I realized people didn’t just want to buy products, they wanted to talk to someone who understood their skin issues,” she explained in an interview. “So I started replying to every comment and DM personally.”
Within months, those casual chats turned into consultations, and those consultations turned into sales.
From Conversations to Conversions
Amara’s early strategy wasn’t complex it was deeply personal. Every message followed three simple rules:
- Listen before pitching. She began by asking about the person’s skin type, lifestyle, and pain points.
- Educate, don’t sell. She shared value-first advice, recommending ingredients or routines, even if it didn’t lead to a sale.
- Invite, don’t push. Only after a conversation did she offer her products as a potential solution.
Her closing message often read:
“If you want to try something tailored for your skin, I’d love to send you a sample set. No pressure!”
This tone of service, not sales, became her differentiator. By the time she launched her Shopify store in 2020, 80% of her first 500 customers had originated from Instagram DMs.
Scaling Authenticity Without Losing Touch
As Nura Glow grew, Amara faced a challenge: how to keep the same level of connection while handling hundreds of DMs daily.
She adopted a hybrid system:
- Saved Replies: Pre-written templates for FAQs, personalized before sending.
- Voice Notes: Short, authentic audio responses to stand out from automated competitors.
- Community Manager: A trained assistant who managed DMs but stayed aligned with Amara’s tone and empathy.
The results? Engagement skyrocketed. Her reply rate hit 90% within 24 hours, and repeat purchase rates climbed to 68% well above the beauty industry average of 24%.
According to Hootsuite’s 2024 Social Trends Report, brands with humanized messaging generate 2.4x more conversions than those relying solely on automated chatbots.
Turning Followers into a Private Client List
In late 2021, Amara began using DMs not just for support but for exclusive product drops and loyalty access.
Every few weeks, she sent her most active followers private early-access links through DMs. These drops regularly sold out within hours.
“People love feeling like insiders,” Amara said. “DMs make them feel seen, not just marketed to.”
This approach mirrors the “micro-community model” seen in other industries: from streetwear brand Supreme to luxury label Glossier, who both leverage private online spaces for exclusivity and deeper brand loyalty.
The DM Playbook: How You Can Do It Too
Amara’s path offers a blueprint for founders looking to harness Instagram’s most intimate channel.
1. Start Conversations, Don’t Wait for Them
- Comment on your followers’ posts genuinely.
- Reply to stories with thoughtful responses.
- Use polls and question stickers to invite interaction.
2. Use DMs for Research
Every chat is a free focus group. Identify recurring pain points, language, and desires to refine your product or messaging.
3. Personalize Without Burning Out
Combine automation (saved replies, CRM tools like Manychat or Trengo) with human follow-up. People can tell when it’s personal.
4. Offer Value Before Selling
Share advice, mini-audits, or free resources before asking for a purchase. This builds credibility.
5. Track and Optimize
Use tools like Instagram’s DM Insights or Meta Business Suite to measure response times, sentiment, and conversion rates.
Lessons for the Modern Founder
Amara’s journey is proof that you don’t need a massive audience or expensive ads to build a thriving brand. What you need is intimacy at scale real human connection, powered by tools that help you stay efficient.
As consumer behavior shifts toward private messaging and community-driven commerce, DMs are no longer a side channel, they’re the new storefront.
“People buy from people,” Amara reflects. “And DMs remind them that there’s a real person behind the brand.”
Conclusion: The Future is Conversational
From billion-dollar brands like Nike using direct chats for customer care, to micro-entrepreneurs like Amara building empires from their phones, one thing is clear: conversation is the new conversion.
For entrepreneurs entering 2025, success on social media won’t depend on how loud your ads are, it’ll depend on how well you listen.
